Naomi Neo has 273k Instagram followers. The article discusses how for many, especially millennials, Instagram is used to consciously cultivate a personal brand through meticulously planned posts and curated feed themes. Some Instagrammers with large followings are able to earn real money from brand sponsorship deals. However, the article argues that "Insta-fame" cannot be forced and that simply copying the styles of popular accounts or buying followers will not work for most people trying to gain a large following. True popularity on Instagram comes from authentic content that resonates with an audience, not from superficial or disingenuous tactics.

1. IN PURSUIT OF
INSTA-FAME
by Kelsey Adams
Naomi Neo – 273k followers
A hundred poses later and you think you’ve
finally got it. Wait, maybe one more. Was the
coconut water artfully placed? Was your
choker trying too hard or just enough? Next
comes the most important step: apply filters,
fix blemishes and send ten different
iterations of the same picture to your closest
friends. This is sacred stuff. Once the choice
is made hit upload and see the likes come
rolling in…hopefully.
We’ve all done it. For the millennial
generation, Instagram isn’t as much of a
photo-sharing app as it is a consciously built,
visual representation of one’s “personal
brand.” We meticulously plan out our post
and develop extensive feed themes because
our online image can be used as virtual
currency. And for a select few Instagrammers
it can result in very real cash.
A Google search of “How to be Instagram
famous” returns almost 130 million results.
Most of the sites are amateurish but even
Elle Magazine dabbled in the elusive nature
of Insta-fame in October 2015. Almost all the
how-to’s and listicles mention copying the
style of an already developed Instagram user
and mimicking what they do. I’m here to tell
you that won’t work. Insta-fame—
unfortunately for those of us not endowed—
cannot be forced.
∆
I’ll let you in on a little secret: you don’t just
become Insta-famous by posting the right
things or buying thousands of followers. It’s
not that easy. Of course, there are the
celebrities who have millions of Instagram
followers because they’re already famous for
other things. We aren’t discussing them;
we’re talking about that girl that seems like
she could be your best friend or even you
but somehow gains 100k plus followers and
brand sponsorship deals.